夏至客来，日蚀雨落暑氣埋 Sun Eclipse

在最热的一个月裡，家裏来了两批贵客，一是过去的同事、一是我三姐全家，热得大家都哇哇叫，相信贵客们都印象深刻，以後再也不敢酷暑期间来苏州玩了。
刚好我也皮肤疹，不方便出门，只去了珍珠城，还好苏州交通發达便利一日游的旅行选择也多，公车计程车随处可搭可達，家人朋友都能理解我的情况，自己出去玩，我们唯一能待客的是周末一同聚餐，Richy周日当地陪去了甪直，还陪姐夫骑车绕金鸡湖一周，这次我还第一次送客到火车站，才發现其实火车站没有想象中的拥挤可怕，很近且交通便利。

七月二十二日，是日蚀的大日子，传说中China沿长江流域一带是最佳观日蚀之地，上海、苏州都是首选之地，偏偏当日下雨，折了很多游客的兴致，不过我刚好也没買到观日蚀的护目镜，所以没啥损失。日蚀的瞬间，從白天变黑夜，街灯全亮，好感动的时刻，我和几个人通了电话分享当时的兴奮，不久又变回白天，经历了日蚀约十分钟，听说五百年才一次，苏州下雨雾濛濛的，看不到日蚀的樣子，有点可惜，但在十分钟内经历天黑天亮，非常特殊的经验。家人朋友也在同时寄来了当地的日蚀照片，记录了历史性的一刻。

日蚀下雨之後，这几日天气就没那麽热了，反而去户外泳池还会發冷呢！最近白天觉得想睡，该不会是对日蚀过敏吧？



Sun Eclipse happened around 9:00-9:30 AM on July 22. It was a precious moment to see the sky turn dark and bright in 10 minutes.

Full Eclipse in Hungzhou, China 寧波

Partial Sun Eclipse looks like a moon in Taiwan.

See Parents from Kids

This summer Winston and I signed up for a swimming class. We had one coach teaching us how to swim and last night is the second time of the class. I was not a good exerciser and did not workout much. A one-hour swimming lesson was so much for me expecially when I did not eat before entering the pool. I felt powerless after 45 mins passed, and I forgot how many times I told the coach that I was so worn out.


After we got home, I was helping Winston washing his hair, and

Winston said: Mother, I have something I need to tell you.

I said: OK, What is it?

Winston: You mentioned about being tired two times to the coach tonight.

This reminded me of my improper behavior in front of a kid.

Me：Oh, yeah. I did a bad feedback to the coach, right?

Winston: Yes, that is not right.

Me: Yes, that is a bad attitude for learning things. Thank you for reminding me. I will improve my attitute.

Winston: Do improve it next time. I forgive you this time.


-------------------------------------------------
I used to reminding Winston not to complain during his piano and violin lessons. And we discussed about his attitude after the lessons. And now he is doing the same to me.

I am glad that he also learned to discuss about things after we got home, instead of embarrassing me in front of the coach. What a good learner! And I believe he will pick up swimming skills very soon.


So, we do see parents from their kids. And we parents should always do as we say.

看苏州名中医

因夏日皮肤过敏，冬季又犯鼻炎，苏州本地人推荐了一位名中医杨大祥，前日一早我打了电话，结果接电话的人告诉我要排到下午5：00以后才轮得到看诊。他说次日早七点来排队，应该可以早上被看诊。後来我才知道是杨医师自己接的电话，因为他的看诊室没一个护士或助理。

所以，第二天早上我6：00就到达门口，看到有些人四点就已排队了，而门前地上排着一列病人自備的小册子，有一个人在负责整理，旁人说他是对面药局的人，要排队找他。於是我央求他把我排在前頭些，好讓我在早上看完诊。最後，我是在11点左右被看诊的，再到对街的药局排队抓药，约12：00才结束这趟特别的名医之旅，共费时…6 Hours。



医生的医術如何，得视我服完他的处方才能下定论，这趟名医之访之所以特别在於以下几点：



1. 排队看诊的人很多，早到本人排队，不一定早被看诊

2. 药局的人似乎是杨医师默认为唯一帮忙整理排队次序的人，然而没来过的人，根本無從得知此潜规，即使前日打了电话讯问。

3. 7:30 门開，病人得以入门後诊，八点十五分開始看诊，很准时。一堆人蜂涌而入，占位子座。

4. 内部分作看诊室和後诊室，後诊室约维持2、30人，特别的是看诊室也是，那意味着，有2、30人陪你一起问诊，这是此行最Special之处。

5. 医师本人家就在诊室旁边，住宅外表看起来不起眼，其实门外看得出是个古建筑，周遭的其他住户似乎不富裕，有些违章建筑，原来的古迹门面全被改成没上漆的水泥墙面。但医师的住宅看得出有刻意保存古迹之意，從诊室的窗户望去，可以看到住宅的内部朴实舒适。我很讶异他为何不在诊所装上窗帘，保存自家的居住隐私。那些早到排队的人肯定聊天，從早上四点開始聊，医师和邻居不嫌吵吗？

6. 看诊费￥50，病人自己放在烟灰缸下。对了，杨医师边看诊边抽烟，也是奇景之一。

7. 可能因为人多，医师话不多，只把脉，问“那里不舒服？”，看舌頭，接着開处方，人多，不好意思多问问题，看完也不知自己的体质到底要多吃啥，禁吃啥？



名医非仙，排队之中，有些人似乎没啥病也来看心安的，有些常客看起来很建康，听说来了三年了，不知有病看到没病，抑是没病看到现在。

我看到一位老先生有气无力的，看起来是严重的；有人從上海来；有人手上还看得到挂点滴後的贴布，像是刚從医院出来的；还有人看起来像黑道的，我很怕他等得不耐烦打起人来；看到一个正在等候的美眉，竟边等候边吃着從外頭買来的冰棒，这种人似乎白看中医了，殊不知中药禁生冷，更何况冰品？



既然是名医，总有其过人之处，不然怎能吸引如此三教九流入门？咱就试试吧，这还是本人生平第一次看傳说中的名中医呢！

如果真治好我的过敏体质，那绝对要大为宣傳他的医術，讓和我有同樣毛病的人早日解脱；若没效，那他的專长可能不在处理过敏问题啦！

位於小巷子（相王路唐家村巷18号，近竹辉路）

医师家的侧门

这些人早上四点就来排队了，蹲下者为药局帮忙预约排队的人。

地上有一叠病历小册子

内诊室圍满人

候诊室等候的人

医师看诊中

医师家古味猶存的大门

二访山塘Re-Visit Shang-Tang Street

Saturday evening we visited Shang Tang Old Street Close to Shi-Lu District. We had visited there last winter during the day time. Last time we took a wrong entrance at Hu-Qiu (虎丘） instead of Shi-Lu（石路）, and that took us more than 1 hour walking to arrive this most popular and noisy place.
The special part about Shang Tang Street is its stores and the red lanterns hanging on every store. The Stores sell Su-fans, traditional Chinese toys, costumes, and slippers, decorated dried gourds, and silk. There is also one traditional Ping-Tan Show Stage with singers and Chinese music players singing and playing music to the public for free. Shang Tang Street is long, however the exhibiting part of the street is short. Thus it is recommended for busy or lazy travelers to pay a short and quick visit After walking out of Shang-Tang Street, we ate in a very old-style restaurant called The Big Second Raw-fried Bun Store (大阿二生煎）. It is called raw fried bun store, because the buns are fried on the pan right after they are fermented, which is different from the common way of steaming or baking them. The store workers were friendly and old fashioned. And because everything was so old fashioned, we were a bit worried about the hygiene part of the food and service. So We took some stomach pills to make ourselves feel safe after we got home.

Stores along water ways

The street was paved with stone bricks

Ping-Tang Show Stage

老店 大阿二生煎 Raw-fried Bun Store

The Lantern on bun store's ceiling

Raw-fried buns

花豆腐（鹹豆花）-比我在园区吃到的还好吃哦！

虽然店面看起来很特色但老舊，客人不多。

不过地方老手艺还是值得一甞，回到家吃个胃药就放心了。

Enjoy the food as long as you remember to take pills afterwards.

Bike around Gold Chicken lake in the Evening

My solar dermatitis (sun skin rashes) still did not get better.  I could not even expose to the winds.  Last Saturday, we walked on Ping Jiang Old Street in the old town and the next day, my face and neck were itchy and had rashes.  But I did not want to stay home all day.  So, Sunday evening we went out biking. This time I covered my face and neck, and wore sunglasses to avoid wind and sun. People looked at me with curiosities. Richy had been biking on the mornings and nights often since he bought his new bike.  He was very familiar with the biking paths around Gold Chicken Lake and had found some beautiful secret paths.  He took us to his secret paths and we biked there for sometime.  It was after 5:30 but the sun still seemed bright and the evening breeze never stopped.  So I did not get chance to take off my mask to fully enjoy the scene.  But it was better than staying home on the weekends. The scenes along the paths really attracted me a lot. 

Before we left for biking, I was too busy putting on my protecting outfit and so I forgot to bring my camera with me.  However, Richy already took some pictures on my request in the morning during his morning bike trip, so I would just use some of the pictures he took to share here. 

Richy's Bike at North side of the Lake

 

 

East side of the lake: Ferris Wheel

 

Southern East of the lake: Yachts and boats

 

 

South side of the lake: The Secret Path

 

 

South Side of the lake

 

 Southern West side of the Lake: The departing lovers

 

 

Southern West Side of the lake: Blossoming Lotus

 

 

West side of the Lake: Old Man Playing Chess

 

 

Want to Join me?

 

~~~

 

Have a Great Day?

Old Street：Ping Jiang 平江古街

星期六帮晚我们走了一趟苏州古街道：平江路，全程含用餐只花了二个小时，沿街有许多特色商店，不过因为是和Richy & Wisnton同行，他们不爱逛商店，所以费时很短。
因为是傍晚才去逛平江，所以都没有走进垂直的小巷，其实小巷里藏有许多古迹，其中的中张家巷还有古戲臺，听说是以前有钱人聚集看戏的地方，就留待下次造访吧！

在苏州最古老的城市地图上，就有平江路这条街道，它是苏州古城东边的主幹道，现在平江路依然在原址保留了它河路並行的格局，小桥流水、粉墙黛瓦，街道的宽度和河道，显示出疏朗淡雅的风格；平江路两边小巷还保留了多条水巷，是今天苏州古城最有水城原味的古街区。
Bus Information 公交站：相门站(xiang Men stop )下车 Bus 68，2，28，307， and many more

My skin is still sensitive to sun rays, so I haven't gone out much this summer.  Saturday evening we went to Ping Jiang Old street for a walk. It was very pleasant to walk on the old street full of old houses, old trees, and waterways. We enjoyed the summer evening breeze but also smelled something fishy from the waterway along with the breeze. There were lots of stores selling various things, but with Winston and Richy beside me, I did not get the chance to shop at all.  I save it for my next visit.

自然的古味的老街 （從北塔路向南走进平江街口）

 

 

小桥流水是苏州古街的特色

 

河边古色古香的茶坊，价格合理，我们在此用餐。

 

茶坊後面紧临河道

 

晚上七点後，店家灯火通明

 

沿着路灯走到干将路，叫车或乘公车回家

The Unbelievable Scene

The internet blocks in China are getting stronger and now I couldn't even cross the Great Wall and sneak out to visit some Google friends' websites. 

On the other side, the foundations of buildings in China are so fragile, you can see the roots of a 13 flr building pulled out by no Wind. 

Now I am skeptical about the construction base of the building I am living in.  Whatch out when you stand beside a building.

 

 

 On June 27, 2009, one of the buildings in constructin lay flat on the ground in Shanghai.

 

 

They said other buildings beside the fallen one haven't fallen before and are still strong based, but who dare to move in.

Kids' Art

 
I love to see the naive side of kids’ drawings and paintings, So I collect some of Winston's art work and post them to share here.   

  

 

Mother's Day Drawings by Kindergarteners

 

Girls' Moms

 

Boys' Moms

 

Helping Housework

Trees

 

Birds flying back in Spring

 

Bike 1

 

 

Bike 2

 

It is fun to see the shapes made by crooked lines and painted by the curious little hands.